Excavator hits bridge under construction Ontario, CA

[cuttin edge]

We have 3 145 linkbelts. Pretty much identical besides the year. 1 machine however has a longer stick. On the big float it's fine as it's lower. On the tag along , 2 machines, blade forward boom rear. Curl the bucket tight, stick tight and boom down. Long stick, same procedure sets the top of the boom about 4 inches higher. You can't curl the bucket tight. My float driver hit the back scratcher on the bridge I mentioned this fall that got destroyed and closed. He didn't damage the bridge. But tore steel lines off the boom. Coincidentally he had just made it 4 months without smoking, and got so worked up about damaging the machine. He went and bought a pack of smokes

 

[Joe Friday]

C.O.E. ??? What does that mean?

 

[mks]

Cab
Over
Engine

 

[fast_st]

We had one of those, mid 90's 10 wheel dump truck towing a smaller excavator, stowed far too high on the trailer. Hit an unused railroad bridge and ripped the pintle hitch off the dump truck. PD thrilled cause its right on the start of rush hour on the main drag. Turns out the driver doesn't have keys to the excavator and doesn't have a class A license. Company sends a second dump truck with the keys and a new hitch. Things look good until the second truck shows up bearing the exact same license plate. turns out the busted one was registered and the new one wasn't was a lot of tow truck work to clear it all up.

 

[John C.]

At least the accident didn't happen in Washington State. They seem to destroy a bridge at least every year. The got two of them at least last year. The one by Cle Elum made national news.

 

[John C.]

The damaged bridge always seems to make the news but the other expensive part of the event is what happened to the machine being carried. My company was hired by an insurance adjuster twenty eight years ago to consult on the damages to a Hitachi EX400-3 that hit an overpass at highway speed. I documented the process on video for possible use in court. I've edited it down to just the investigation of the carbody and house and it can be viewed on YouTube by clicking the link below.